Daddy Lift Me Up Part 2

It is my recommendation that you read Ephesians 2 in its entirety before proceeding.

Yesterday we were talking about our earthly fathers, the ones that either do or do not take the role and how no matter how hard they try they can not fill our abyss of need. Isn't is awesome that Father God made a way, He made a way for us to come into his family? That we aren't left on our own to struggle that we weren't the last one picked for the yard game.

Deuteronomy 7:6, "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession."

Ephesians 2:4-7, "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

So often we think of sacrifice in maybe paying our tithes when we aren't sure how we are going to buy groceries, or how we held our tongue when all we really wanted to do is let someone have a piece of our mind. Here is the ultimate sacrifice. He offered us something that he has never asked of us. He took his son, without blemish, without sin, and offered Him to death and then raised Him up, we could say for us, but what I want you to know is it is more personal than that. God would have done that if the only person living was me. If the only one living was you. So often we can take this and apply it to everyone around us, we can see it in our daughter, or our husband, our mentor, our Pastor, but God did it for me JenniLee and he did it for you.

Jesus was a man, like my son, my husband, my father. He had Daddy issues too. Joseph married his mother despite the fact that she was pregnant. He had faith in God which is evident in his obedience to marry her. Do you think he ever doubted it though? Do you think that maybe like us receiving a word of God that there were nights that he laid there next to her and wondered if this was all for real? Think about him looking at this young man and knowing that he didn't participate in his consummation yet had the responsibility to raise him? Do you think he could look at his son, tinkering with his hand tools and wonder what his role was going to be?

What we do know about Joseph is that he and Mary when Jesus was 12 years old didn't know where their son was. Boy today if you went three days without knowing where your 12 year old son was you would be prosecuted for neglect. However, in my imagination, Joseph and Mary are walking along and Joseph says, "Hey Hon, have you seen that son of yours?". "Well, he's probably with Elizabeth hanging out with John, keep an eye out and I will look for them." So they turn around and head back in the crowd, see Elizabeth and ask her if she has seen their son. "No", she says," last time I saw him was when we were still in the city". So they continue their journey back to Jerusalem. Somehow they knew he was in the temple. Can you imagine their frustration? I know that if I had lost my child because he had wandered off my first reaction would be to hug him, then I would want to yell. I know that about myself. Here is the exchange that happened.

Luke 2:48-52, "When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.""Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Notice Joseph didn't say a word? Mary spoke for herself and for Joseph. We really don't hear much from him. That is the last time he is mentioned. The options of where he went are limitless. Did he get full of resentment and bitterness, did he die? We aren't for sure. But what we know is that after the age of 12 we don't see Jesus having an earthly father. We know that Mary was with him. She never seemed to leave his side. We know that they had more children. What we do know is that it was about the same time that Jesus started referring to God as His father. We also know that Jesus went home and submitted to his parents. He honored them because he had no sin, and the word used is "obedient".

Deuteronomy 5:16, "Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you."

He didn't say honor their behaviors, he didn't say that they would never let you down, he didn't say they would always get it 100% right. He knew that they wouldn't be perfect, He knew that only he could be the perfect Father. He knew that there would be an abyss. Yet we are commanded to honor them. Do you see the promise that follows that command? It's the only commandment that comes with a promise.

It is my prayer that you are making sense of this. I know that my own heart is being worked over pretty good doing this work.

Father God, thank you for loving us enough, for having enough grace for us an individuals Lord. That you created parents, you enable some of us to be parents ourselves Lord. Father I know that I don't always get it right. I know that my parents may not always get it right, I know that we are all humans and that in and of itself is enough cause for let downs. Lord, today I lay down my expectation of perfection, I choose to honor the position despite the behaviors. Despite what I see to be their fullness Lord, I know that they like me are still in process. Lord, I thank you for my parents. I thank you for the labors of my mother, and the dedication of my father. Lord they were your chosen vehicles to get me here for such a time as this Lord. Bless my parents Lord, abundantly, overflowing, exponentially. Thank you Father God for your provision and for the beginning of my own comprehension of this teaching. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.